Williams still learning way at cornerback

By John Kovach

The former Purdue wide receiver is in his first year with the Thunder.

YOUNGSTOWN — Ray Williams brings five valuable commodities as a cornerback to the Mahoning Valley Thunder training camp in his first season trying out for an af2 team: He is tall, very quick, can jump high, knows how to play football and is very physical.

But Williams, (6-foot-3, 204 pounds), a former Purdue University wide receiver, cornerback and kick returner from Scotch Plains, N.J., also needs more experience playing cornerback to add to his resume because he primarily was a wide receiver for most of his playing career at Purdue that ended in 2005.

It was a lack of enough playing time at cornerback that hampered Williams’ tryout effort at the New Orleans Saints 2006 training camp and with the AFL New Orleans Voodoos camp this winter, but he’s hoping that he has acquired enough experience to help him make the Thunder roster.

“I never played [cornerback] fully until late in college,” said Williams, who started the final seven games of his Purdue career at cornerback in 2005, and still was learning the position in the National Football League and Arena Football League camps.

“I started at receiver [at Purdue] and if you never played [a position] you are not familiar with, it is not easy. It was a learning curve [at the pro camps). I was learning on the fly. I played mostly wide receiver in college.”

But Williams currently is advancing on the learning curve with the Thunder, as he seeks to become one of the two starting cornerbacks on the eight-man defense that also includes one safety, two linebackers and three down lineman.

“I definitely needed more time to acclimate myself to that position,” said Williams, who also ran track at Purdue and was All-State in both football and track during his New Jersey high school career. “This is definitely something you have to learn in camp. I held my own [at the NFL and AFL camps]. The coach said I needed more experience.”

He said that at the Voodoos’ camp, “I thought I was doing really good. I was making a lot of plays. The day they were going to release me, they said that they liked me a lot and that the only thing the [other] guys had over me was experience playing indoor football.

“The coach said that I needed more time in the arena game.”

But he certainly had the quickness: He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 at the AFL camp.

Overall, the versatile Williams feels that he brings a lot to the cornerback table, including being able to get high into the air to break up or intercept a pass.

“I’m 6-3 and 210 and there are not a lot of [cornerbacks] out there that size,” said Williams. “A lot of the receivers will be shorter than me. Plus, I am a very physical guy.

“I have a 40-inch vertical jump.”

Williams said learning the cornerback requirements hasn’t been a major hurdle.

“It really hasn’t been too much of a challenge. I felt that I came a long way. I am still learning. There is nothing that pops out as a huge challenge. There are things I have to work on,” said Williams, noting that the smaller indoor field requires a different set of requirements from a cornerback, including timing, anticipation and discipline.

“Football is football. I have to learn what it takes to play here.” Because, “My objective here is: I just want to play. I want to be the best,” he said.

“I try to be positive and work hard, and I pray about it. It has been so crazy what I have been going through with the different teams. Sometimes it’s not how good you are but if you fit in the system. And if the coach wants you there.”

Williams also is completing academic requirements for graduation at Purdue. He is majoring in criminology.

“I have a couple of credits to finish up at Purdue. I am taking on-line classes,” said Williams, who likes it here so far and the people he has met. “It’s a new area [for me]. I haven’t seen much of it, but I think it is all right,” Williams said. “I just want to play. I like the coaches and the guys on the team and I feel comfortable and I am happy.”

Now he’s hoping the Thunder will be happy with him.

kovach@vindy.com